1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Coastline
120 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Contiguous zone
1 2 nm
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Disputes
focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Environment
vegetation scanty
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Land boundaries
none
Land use
1 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 83% other
Natural resources
fish, deep-water ports
Note
located 25 km south of Newfoundland, Canada, in the North Atlantic Ocean
Terrain
mostly barren rock
Territorial sea
1 2 nm
Total area
242 km2; land area: 242 km2; includes eight small islands in the St. Pierre and the Miquelon groups
People and Society
Birth rate
17 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
originally Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Infant mortality rate
9 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
2,510(1982)
Language
French
Life expectancy at birth
72 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Literacy
NA%, but compulsory education between 6 and 16 years of age
Nationality
noun — Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective — French
Net migration rate
—6 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
Workers' Force trade union
Population
6,330 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Religion
98% Roman Catholic
Total fertility rate
2.2 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Capital
St. Pierre
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Diplomatic representation
as a territorial collectivity of France, local interests are represented in the US by France
Elections
General Council — last held September-October 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats — (19 total) Socialist and other left-wing parties 13, UDF and right-wing parties 6; French President— last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results — (second ballot) Jacques Chirac 56%, Francois Mitterrand 44%; French Senate — last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (1 total) PS 1; French National Assembly — last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (1 total) UDF/CDS 1
Executive branch
commissioner of the Republic
Flag
the flag of France is used
Independence
none (territorial collectivity of France)
Judicial branch
Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Leaders
Chief of State — President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government — Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Pierre MARQUIE (since February 1989); President of the General Council Marc PLANTEGENEST (since NA) Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS); Union for French Democracy (UDF/CDS), Gerard Grignon
Legal system
French law
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council
Long-form name
Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
National holiday
National Day, 14 July
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
territorial collectivity of France